Narcoleptic Dreams
by ygggdrasil
Summary: Seventeen years old, part time botanist, part time kick-ass ninja, and then there's boys to top it all off. Ino just hopes she can stay awake throughout it all. Ino/Shikamaru. Ino-centric.
1. Chapter 1

Ino couldn't remember the last time she had slept. Like _slept_, slept. Rubbing at her eyes, she realized it was the third time she'd done it in the past five minutes. Or was it the fourth time? She couldn't remember.

Swatting at a mosquito on her neck, Ino took a quick scan of her surroundings. The thickness of the trees made it hard for moonlight to reach the forest ground, leaving Ino to rely on her other senses. After listening intently to the quiet movements within the forest, Ino determined that there were no nearby threats. Still, Ino couldn't quite shake off the unsettling feeling in her chest. Only thirty miles away from Konoha, Team 10 was bound to reach its gates within the next day.

A loud snort behind Ino caused her to jump, her grip tightening around the scroll in her hands. Turning, she could barely make out Chouji's sleeping figure turning on its side. Shikamaru lay closest to her, his arm beneath his head acting as a pillow. Despite his even breathing, Ino knew Shikamaru; he was more awake than she was. But then again, who could sleep knowing they carried an ancient, irreplaceable, priceless scroll? Not Ino, that's who. But who said she couldn't rest her eyes for a couple of seconds?

_Yep, just a few seconds…just a couple of seconds…_ Ino allowed her head to bob loosely towards her chest for a few moments before forcing herself to stand up. Shaking her head a few times, Ino stood up and made to walk around their small perimeter three times. Or was it four times? She couldn't remember. Walking back to the lookout point, she could see Shikamaru's outline sitting in her previously occupied spot.

"I'll take over now," Shikamaru's voice said.

Ino smiled softly, whispering a 'thank you' as she handed him the scroll. She made her way over to Chouji and sat next to his sleeping form. "Hey Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?" He replied without looking back at her.

"You think anyone's tracking us?"

Ino could see the sigh hanging off Shikamaru's shoulders. Ino knew that sigh; it started with the tensing of his chest that he passed off as deep breath in, followed by the exhale that could easily be mistaken as a yawn. Ino also knew nothing good could follow that sigh.

"It's hard to tell," Shikamaru finally said after a few seconds of silence.

"Bullshit." Ino scoffed.

Shikamaru finally turned to look back at her, meeting her defiant eyes. "We've got a good distance on them," he said with a shrug. "Just try to get some rest."

Ino laid down on her side, pressing her back against Chouji's for body heat. She looked over at Shikamaru's figure, watching as his hand reached for his pocket before stopping midway and bringing it back to his lap.

"It's killing you, isn't it?" Ino asked softly.

"Fuck yeah," Shikamaru chuckled dryly.

"I don't even want to think about how much you'll smoke the moment we get back," Ino said, placing her arm beneath her head.

"Probably as much as you'll get _beauty _sleep."

"Ugh," Ino grunted, covering her face. "I'm not looking in a mirror until I've had _at least _two days of sleep and an hour-long shower."

Shikamaru scoffed.

"What was that?" Ino raised an eyebrow behind her hands.

"It's just…you…" Shikamaru sat up straight, catching himself stumbling over his words. "Let's stop wasting time. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

Ino frowned at Shikamaru's figure. She wanted to argue, to make him spit out those words she knew he was holding back. But she knew he was right, tomorrow was the homestretch, thirty miles and they'd reach safety…or at least they'd reach a couple of hundred more ninja to help them protect the scroll. Closing her eyes, Ino felt the hot tightness behind her eyes begin to relax. She settled in to the hard ground beneath her, but as much as her eyes remained closed her mind stayed alert to the sounds of the night.

* * *

"We should be able to reach the border in about nine hours, eight if we don't take any breaks and seven if we don't come across any enemies."

Ino and Chouji nodded in understanding. Shikamaru had been constantly checking their coordinates with his map, making sure they would be able to reach Konoha within the time frame given to them by the Hokage. With each minute that went by, Ino could see the stress piling on their shoulders. She couldn't count the times she would catch Shikamaru sliding out his map from his front pocket, as if checking to see if the terrain had somehow changed. More than once Ino had snuck a soldier pill into Chouji's meals, seeing as he hadn't even gone through half his snacks.

And then there was Ino. Ino hadn't gotten more than two or three hours of sleep per night since they had found the scroll almost a week ago. Constantly she could feel flares of chakra appearing around them; whether they were enemies or allies Ino had yet to find out. Ino knew the other two had noticed, taking longer surveillance shifts when they thought she was fast asleep. But no matter how long they gave her, Ino couldn't sleep. A strange foreboding sensation had been growing within her, almost a premonition that the moment she let herself fall asleep something would go wrong.

But after two weeks on the road, they hadn't gotten attacked. Not once.

Ino was busy reflecting on their strange lack of enemies when she felt it. One, two, three…four. Four chakra signatures about three miles ahead of them. She sped up, catching up to Shikamaru and sharing the information with the touch of his shoulder. He gave the signal for them to slow down and stop ahead.

"There's four of them three miles ahead, I can't tell how strong yet." Ino informed Chouji.

"Can't we just go around them and avoid them altogether?" Chouji asked.

"We'll only raise suspicions if they sense us taking a side route," Ino said. "Whether they're enemies or not, they'll probably want to investigate."

"Avoiding them would probably cost us more time than confronting them," Shikamaru finally said. "Chances are they're no threat to the scroll."

"What makes you say that?" Chouji asked with a perplexed look.

Shikamaru glanced at them both before looking up at the sky. He let out a sigh, his right hand reaching into his pocket. "Because chances are we're not carrying the real scroll."

"And what the hell makes you say _that_?" Ino popped her jaw, struggling to keep an even tone.

"We're not the only team the Hokage sent out for this scroll," Shikamaru admitted. "We're most likely just another decoy and the enemies know it."

Ino looked over at Chouji's expression, trying to determine if he was as upset by the information as she was. "When were you planning on telling us? A foot from the gates? Ever?" Ino knew Shikamaru probably had his reasons for withholding information, but that didn't mean Ino couldn't think they were stupid reasons.

"The Hokage thought if you knew, then-"

"Then what?" Ino sharply cut him off. "We would've opened the scroll and fooled around once we realized it wasn't the real one?" Ino stared at Shikamaru for a few seconds before recognizing by the blank look in his eyes that she was right. "Just because Chouji and I aren't nominated for the jounin exams doesn't mean we should be treated like we're still kids!"

"Then maybe if you stopped acting like one you'd be nominated too," Shikamaru muttered under his breath, turning to walk away.

"Excuse me?" Ino grabbed his shoulder, turning him to face her.

"Ino," Chouji said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder to hold her back. "I'm sure the Hokage had a good reason for it."

"I don't care about the Hokage, Chouji. We're a _team_. We're Ino-Shika-Cho! We don't keep things from each other," Ino glared at Shikamaru. She knew she was overreacting, she knew she could've waited to discuss this once in the village, but she also knew that she felt a pang in her chest that she didn't quite want to identify as betrayal.

Shikamaru scoffed. "You're one to talk."

Ino shrugged off Chouji's hand off her shoulder, crossing her arms and moving to stand inches away from Shikamaru. "And what do you mean by _that_?"

Chouji stood in front of them, not quite sure how to intervene. Despite being witness to their arguments countless of times, he knew they were both poking at particularly sensitive topics. He bit his lower lip, searching for the words to diffuse the situation.

"Really Shikamaru, tell me. What have I been keeping from you? Is it worse than letting us walk around paranoid as fuck believing we were carrying a thousand-year-old document? Is it worse than being so afraid that you can only sleep for two hours a night? Being so afraid that you can't even stomach the thought of eating because you don't want to shit yourself when you're killed for an old piece of paper? Is it?"

Ino was breathing hard, her defiant eyes never leaving Shikamaru's.

Chouji could see nothing good was coming as Shikamaru let out an exasperated laugh. With his eyes locked onto hers, Shikamaru finally opened his mouth to speak, "Kiba? Sai? Those names ring a bell?"

Ino's eyes went wide for a second before she finally broke their eye contact. "That-that's none of your business," Ino stammered out.

"We're a _team_, remember? '_We don't keep things from each other_'." Shikamaru regretted his words the second they left his mouth. He looked down at Ino and could see her biting the inside of her cheek, struggling to keep her composure. He wanted to say that it was her fault, that she should have seen it coming, but Shikamaru knew better. He knew he didn't have to talk to her so harshly, to embarrass her in front of her comrade, and he knew that he could fault no one but himself for the words that had left his mouth.

"Fuck, Ino, I didn't-"

Shikamaru suddenly found himself thrown harshly to the side. The unexpectedness of it had caused him to land further than Ino could usually throw him. In the seconds it took him to open his eyes he saw Ino standing a few meters from him. He also spotted the grenade rolling slowly towards her feet.

* * *

Thanks for reading, let me know what you thought :) More to come soon!


	2. Chapter 2

'_Shit'_ was the only word that went through Ino's mind as she forced her legs to move as humanly fast as possible. Having only taken a split-second glance at the grenade, Ino knew she only had seconds to distance herself from the impact of the inevitable explosion. She could only pray that Chouji and Shikamaru were running faster than she was.

But Ino hadn't ran as far as five feet when the grenade went off. The heat of the explosion engulfed her back, throwing her forward and off her feet. She didn't completely understand what had happened until she landed head first at the base of an aspen tree. The rest of her body bounced off the tree, leaving her sprawled on the forest floor. With her eyes watering furiously and her ears filled with a high-pitched ringing, Ino barely managed to get on all fours.

Hearing a rustling to the far-off right, Ino knew she couldn't stay and recover any longer than she already had. She pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the tilting of her vision as she moved forward. Pressing two fingers to her temple, Ino focused her energy to find Chouji and Shikamaru. _I'm about fifteen meters south from the explosion. No enemies in sight. What's the recon plan? _

Ino waited a few seconds to hear their responses while keeping a lookout of her surroundings. _How far did they run?_ Ino wondered, unable to detect their chakra signatures.

_Chouji? _She tried again. _Shikamaru? Can either of you hear me?_ Swallowing, Ino tried not to think too much about her comrade's lack of responses and instead focused on detecting any nearby threats.

Ino gripped the handle of her tantō as she walked forward with caution. Judging by the distance between the trees, Konoha was only about ten to fifteen miles off from her current position. But what Ino was more concerned about were her missing teammates. It'd been about ten minutes since she had last tried to communicate with them with no success.

_Guys? I need your positions STAT. _

Silence.

Ino turned on her heels, staring at the direction she had come from. It was strange, she'd heard nothing in the past half-hour. No further explosions, no signs of struggle…no word from Shikamaru or Chouji. Making up her mind to head back and search for them, Ino tightened her ponytail, ready for any attacks. But within the first step she took the band holding her hair snapped, sending her long hair cascading down.

It was with wide eyes that Ino met her pink and red stained hair that had swung over her shoulders. Reaching to touch her the back of her head, Ino found her scalp soaked through. Taking a deep breath, Ino swung her backpack off her shoulders, her bloody hands staining the stiff fabric. _No need to panic, Ino. Head wounds bleed a lot, remember? It's probably just a scratch. _Ino reached into the backpack, feeling around for the spare gauze that she usually carried for emergencies. But the first thing her hand met wasn't fabric; it was rough texture of a thousand-year old document that would now forever have her bloody fingerprints on it.

Without losing a second, Ino focused all her concentration as she placed two fingers to her temple. _Shikamaru! I have the wrong bag, I'm carrying the scroll. I need your orders STAT. _

"He can't hear you."

Ino whirled around, her hand immediately unsheathing her tantō towards the voice. A man stood feet from her wearing a purple high-collared shirt and pants, bandages wrapped around his waist. His gray hair was tied in a ponytail behind him, round black-rimmed glasses over his dark eyes. Ino scrambled her mind to recognize him, knowing she had definitely seen his face before.

"Where is he?" Ino asked through gritted teeth. Allowing her eyes to wander momentarily, Ino scanned the man's body for weapons. His stance was relaxed, his hands resting by his sides with no sign of visible weapons. Ino only knew that he was strong enough to mask his chakra.

The man tilted his head to the side. "You haven't slept in a while, have you?"

"Where the _fuck _is he?" Ino glared at the man.

"I can tell by your pupils. I'd say it's been…" The man took a step closer, inspecting her eyes. Ino held her stance, ready to attack. "Eight days?"

"I won't ask again. Where is he?" Ino demanded, taking a step closer.

"Can you imagine life without sleep? I couldn't." The man said in a careless tone, looking up at the darkening sky. "I imagine one would slowly lose their sanity."

Ino took this chance to attack, rushing at the man and ready to swing her tantō at his side. However, the man caught her attack, twisting her arm painfully behind her until she dropped the short sword to the ground. Ino struggled against the man's grip on her as he pushed her face down to the ground, pulling her arms behind her.

"You see what happens when you don't sleep? You make foolish decisions and your body turns against you," the man sighed.

Ino blew her hair out of her face, not only annoyed at the man's eerie casual tone but also at the fact that he was basically sitting on her. With her lack of energy, Ino wasn't sure if she could escape him without any outside help. _Where are those two?_

"They won't find you, you know," he began. "I must say, despite your lack of sleep and poor nutrition, your mind's abilities are still quite high. Ah…I've never had the pleasure of examining a Yamanaka's brain before, do you mind?"

That's when Ino knew where she had seen him before. Tsunade kept medical files for threats to the village in the safety of her office. Among them were members of the Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and…his medic, Kabuto Yakushi. _Fuck, I'm gonna die here, aren't I? Fake scroll or not, I can't make this easy for him. _

"You stay out from my head if you know what's good for you," Ino gritted out.

"This'll be easier if you don't fight it. You know, the brain is perhaps the most sensitive muscle in your body and I'd hate to jumble things around in there. Just relax."

Ino opened her mouth, ready to shout every obscenity she knew at Kabuto but the sensation of ice cold water being dumped over her head froze her in place. She could feel her eyes rolling to the back of her head, her brain pulsing against her skull from the sudden invasion. It felt like someone with rough hands was kneading at her brain, tearing and mashing it in search for information.

Suddenly she could see her father sitting on the porch of their house. Ino watched him as he analyzed the scroll on his lap before looking up and smiling at her.

Ino returned the smile, walking towards him before a small blonde girl ran towards him with arms wide open, embracing her father. Reaching behind him, her father presented the young girl with a violet flower. The girl took the flower in her hands, pressing her nose against the petals before reaching up and placing it in her father's hair.

Suddenly the scene shifted. The haze cleared up and Ino could see she was standing in front of her father's grave. Ino could also see that she wasn't alone. A hooded figure sat in front of her, slouching towards the ground. Ino walked towards them; she knew it was herself, ten months ago. She watched herself as she pressed the violet flower into her nose before placing it on top of the marble slab. _No…_

Ino felt herself burning, her chest constricting so far into herself that for a second she feared for her lungs. Reaching her hands up to her head, Ino pressed them into her temples, praying the pain would subside. She closed her eyes, pressing harder and harder until she could feel a faint release coming. She wanted to get away from this, from that stupid marble slab and that _stupid_ violet flower. With a frustrated scream, Ino pressed at her temples as hard as she could.

The pain stopped.

Ino opened her eyes and saw the ground beneath her. She moved her hands behind her, noticing Kabuto was no longer holding them. Shakily standing up, Ino turned to see Kabuto's figure laying at the base of a tree behind her, his eyes closed and blood running down his nose.

Without a second thought, Ino ran towards Konoha.

* * *

Thank you for the kind reviews, they really helped me when I was writing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I just wanted to set up the premise for Ino's narcolepsy before getting into the ~nitty gritty.

Liked this chapter? Have a few complains? Let me know by leaving a review :) Hope to see you guys next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Ino had long given up trying to breathe through her nose. Her mouth was open, panting harshly as she willed her legs to keep moving. The first hour of running had been fine, the adrenaline pumping through her veins feeding her speed. The second hour had been difficult, but bearable. And now as Ino headed into her third hour she was starting to wonder if she was even going in a straight line. Ino took a quick glance upwards, catching the faint rising of the moon ahead of her and prayed that she'd be able to deliver the scroll on time.

As the trees became sparse, Ino knew she was minutes from reaching the gates. Gathering her remaining strength, Ino forced her legs to pick up speed. And if Ino thought nothing else could go wrong, well, Ino was damn wrong.

Whether it was a weed, a rock, or _fuck_, just pure air, Ino found herself tumbling down to the floor, landing head-first onto the forest floor's solid ground. Ino felt the tears welling up, and before she could force them back in, the hot tears ran down her cheeks, leaving clear paths down her dirty cheeks.

_Fuck!_

Ino stood up, not bothering to dust herself off. Her legs were trembling so hard she knew running was no longer an option. After a few minutes of forcing one leg in front of the other, Ino could see the familiar tall green wooden gates.

But what was missing were the familiar faces of the guards, the open doors empty of anyone's presence. Ino didn't have time to think too much about it, instead walking straight towards the Hokage's office. The streets were busy as usual, the chit chatter of civilians filling up the air. She walked as fast as she possibly could, knowing she couldn't afford taking a side-route. Jumping through the roofs wasn't an option either, seeing as how her legs were closer and closer to giving in on her. Concentrating on moving her legs prevented Ino from catching too many stares and curious faces of small children.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ino reached the administration building. She took the stairs two at a time, almost tripping over herself a few times. Reaching the long hallway, Ino saw Kotetsu guarding the Hokage's door. He caught one look at her and with wide eyes rushed past her muttering to himself; Ino only caught the words 'alert' and 'search'.

Taking the scroll out of her backpack, Ino knocked at the Hokage's door.

"Come in," came a muffled voice.

Ino opened the door. Tsunade sat at her desk, her hand moving over a document below her. Ino could see the silver of a flask next to her coffee cup. Maneuvering through the many stacks of papers, Ino carefully placed the scroll on her desk. Tsunade paused in her writing, placing her pen down neatly next to the sheet of paper before finally looking up at Ino.

"You're late," the Hokage stated simply.

"I apologize," Ino said, glancing down, unable to hold the Hokage's strong gaze. "We were compromi-"

Tsunade held up a hand, cutting Ino off. Taking the scroll, Tsunade analyzed the edges before removing the seal and analyzing its contents.

"Shizune," the Hokage's strong and steady voice called out. Within seconds Ino could hear the clacking of heels growing closer before the door opened behind her.

"Have Sakura decipher the text that's covered in blood," Tsunade said, handing over the scroll. "Get them ready for surgery as soon as possible." With a silent nod, Shizune left the room.

Ino tried to maintain an even breathing pattern as she stood there awkwardly, waiting for the Hokage to break the silence. With a sigh, Tsunade stood from her chair, walking over to the window with her hands behind her back.

"Why were you carrying the scroll?" Tsunade finally asked.

Ino was caught off-guard, her words stuck in her throat. _Say something, idiot! _

"I-," she began, clearing her throat. "I must have taken Shikamaru's bag when we were ambushed, it happened so quickly, we were talking and we were caught off-guard by a grenade-"

Tsunade turned to face her again, her expressionless face making Ino more nervous. "You were caught off-guard because you were…_talking_?"

Ino knew she couldn't hide anything from her and with a sigh admitted, "We were having somewhat of a heated argument." Ino swallowed and looked down before adding, "It was my fault. I let my emotions get the best of me and it was me who distracted Chouji and Shikamaru. I'm sorry."

Tsunade let out a deep sigh, walking to her desk and emptying the flasks' contents onto her coffee mug before taking a long sip. Taking a seat at her desk again, Tsunade looked up and met Ino's eyes. Ino could see that while her face remained impassive, Tsunade's eyes showed the silent frustration she was really feeling.

"Ino," she began, turning away from her and resting her feet on the desk. "I've been hearing things about you lately that I'm not too pleased with. You've been-"

Ino blinked. It was as if the sound had suddenly been turned off and replaced by a faint high-pitched whistle. She felt as if someone was pushing her head down by the back of her neck as her chin slowly met her chest. As she stared down at her dirty sandals she could see them becoming out of focus as she struggled to keep her eyes from closing. '_I'm so tired'_ was the last thought she had before closing her eyes and meeting darkness.

"-and I understand you said you were capable of remaining an active ninja but after what I've been hearing and with what happened today, I've come to the decision of temporarily taking you off-duty until further notice."

Ino's softly gasped, feeling as if she had broken a water's surface after being underwater for too long. She looked up to see the Hokage still facing the wall. Ino's eyes landed on the coffee mug sitting by Tsunade's hand, its contents nearly empty.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ino nearly whispered. Ino could feel herself breaking out in a sweat, her mind processing what the Hokage had just said. _What the hell just happened?_

Tsunade finally turned to look up at her. Taking her feet off the desk, Tsunade sat back in her chair before resting her hands on the desk. "Ino, there's _no _doubt that you were of great help during the war. I just…don't think you've given yourself enough time to come to terms with all that's happened. It's none of my business what goes on in your personal life but when it begins to affect your duties is when I have to intervene."

"Hokage, with all due respect, I have to disagree," Ino said carefully, gripping her fists behind her back. "I understand that I compromised this mission but it was a one-time thing," Ino paused, catching her voice beginning to rise. "I beg you to reconsider."

"I'm sorry, that's my final word," Tsunade said, folding her hands together under her chin. "Plus, you could use some rest, your file states you haven't gone more than three days without a mission."

Tsunade shook her head twice as she saw Ino ready to protest. "Ah, great, you're back," Tsunade said looking over Ino's shoulder.

Turning, Ino couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips as she saw Shikamaru and Chouji standing by the doorway. They both had a matching flush on their cheeks and were breathing heavily. The medic in Ino immediately noticed the bruises and hints of dry blood on them, but the Ino who remembered the two small boys who she walked to school with could only focus on how happy she was that they were simply in the same room as her.

"Accompany Miss Yamanaka to the hospital," Tsunade instructed. "I'd like a full report first thing in the morning, I won't tolerate tardiness," she added, for once not looking at Shikamaru.

"You're dismissed."

* * *

Ino could see a thousand and one questions in Chouji and Shikamaru's eyes as they exited the administration building together. Chouji and Shikamaru could also see in Ino's eyes that she was in no mood to answer any one of them.

They walked down the road together in silence, Chouji and Shikamaru on either side of her. Ino felt a tinge of guilt, knowing the mission's failure could easily be pinpointed on her earlier behavior. She wasn't quite sure how much they had overheard back in the office, or if they were still completely clueless at the fact that they'd be one team member down for who knew how long. They'd find out sooner or later; whether it was from Ino herself or from the gossip she unfortunately knew traveled fast.

"Ino," Chouji said softly behind her, taking her away from her thoughts.

Ino turned around, realizing she had walked ahead of them. "Yeah?"

"The hospital's this way," Chouji motioned with his head towards the right.

"Oh," Ino said dumbly. "I'm not going to the hospital."

Ino could see the clear confusion on Chouji's face. It was Shikamaru who was harder to decipher. His face remained impassive but Ino could see the slight frustrated crinkling of his eyebrows.

"I know you haven't looked in a mirror lately but you basically look like shit," Shikamaru said bluntly. "Plus, the Hokage ordered-"

Ino couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Right. Hokage's orders, of-_fucking_-course."

Immediately Ino wished she had kept her mouth shut._ Didn't you learn anything from today, Ino? Seriously?_ Ino shook her head, immediately regretting that as well as a throbbing began at her temple.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," Ino said, raising her hand to massage at her temple. "I just really want to go home, okay?" she said exasperatedly. "I'm not in the mood to have anyone else poking and prodding at me today."

This time Ino could clearly decipher what Shikamaru was thinking. She could practically _see _him analyzing her words.

"I'm _fine_," Ino added immediately, not wanting Shikamaru to jump to any conclusions. "Please, I just want to go home. I'm a medic, remember? I'll be totally fine fixing myself up." Ino tried to smile at them.

She _seriously_ tried.

But as soon as the corner of her lips started moving upwards she could feel them trembling uncontrollably. Ino immediately looked down, reaching her hands to cover her face, unable to control the pathetic sob that escaped her lips.

Ino didn't want to look up and see her teammate's faces. She didn't want to think about how ridiculous she must look to them right now, crying over nothing. How weak she must seem to not be able to handle a failed mission with grace or how annoyed they must be with her sudden burst of female dramatics.

But Ino didn't have to think about it as she felt the heaviness of Chouji's jacket engulf her and Shikamaru leading her away from the hospital with an arm wrapped around her shoulder.

* * *

Again, thank you for the reviews! Reading them just puts the biggest smile on my face, like seriously, a huge cheesy smile.

I'd LOVE to hear what you guys thought about this chapter. The good, the bad, and the ugly (?). Anything. Let me know :)

Hope to see you next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Taking one look at her house, Ino almost wished she had gone to the hospital instead. _Almost. _But she figured the hospital didn't have her favorite scented bubble bath and the worn blue sheets on her bed. After leaving their shoes by the door, Chouji and Shikamaru had made some bullshit excuse to stay; something about feeling too tired to walk anymore and having to work on the report anyways.

Ino knew they were worried. It wasn't every day they witnessed her having a breakdown in the middle of the street after all. She couldn't help but feel guilty as she sat there on the couch with her head thrown over the armrest, their footsteps shuffling about in the kitchen. _She_ was the one that had to take care of them, not the other way around; that's what he had entrusted her with, wasn't it?

Chouji broke her from her thoughts as he began to arrange a flowered tea set on the coffee table in front of her. Ino let out a soft laugh, she could never get over his meticulous table manners. Chouji turned at the sound, giving her a small smile.

"It's a mix of herbs, should kickstart your immune system," he said while pouring the steaming liquid onto her cup.

"Thanks," Ino said, sitting up and taking a small sip. Ino hid her face behind the cup, trying to hide her grimace from Chouji's view. She'd never eaten dirt and grass before, but she imagined this was pretty close to that mixture.

"You're bleeding all over the couch," Shikamaru's voice said behind her. "This needs to be cleaned before you get an infection," he said, parting her hair to take a look at the wound.

Ino could feel the tension take over her shoulders as she felt the closeness of his hands. She couldn't help but think back on Kabuto's icy hands gripping at her head like a football.

"Yikes, how did that even happen?" Chouji asked, joining Shikamaru in analyzing the wound.

Ino slapped their hands away from her head. "I landed on a tree after the grenade. Where were you guys anyway? Didn't you hear me at all?" Taking another sip of the tea, Ino hoped she could defer the conversation from having to get to the subject of Kabuto's attack.

"The grenade's explosion worked as a portal, it made sure to separate us at least ten miles from each other," Shikamaru said, moving to sit on the couch opposite from Ino.

"Which makes no sense to separate us when we weren't even attacked, right?" Chouji shrugged, pacing from Ino to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru raised a questioning eyebrow at Ino.

Ino took a large gulp from her tea, almost choking on it as some of the liquid went through the wrong pipe. Clearing her throat, Ino massaged at her temple as she tried to find the right wording for what felt was like a guilty confession.

"I, um…" _Great start, Ino. _"I sort of got attacked?" Ino shrugged, reaching to serve herself more tea. Chouji couldn't help but grimace as he watched her disregard all tea mannerisms and grab at everything in the wrong way.

Shikamaru sighed hard, slowly rubbing at the back of his neck. "Were you able to identify who they were working for?"

Ino raised the tea cup halfway to her lips before thinking twice and setting it down on the table. Whether she said it now or in twenty minutes, or even in a week, Ino knew that their reactions would still be the same. Telling them now was like waxing her eyebrows; quick, painful, and with a sore feeling that only time could take care of.

"Yeah…," Ino looked down, her index finger following the swirls on the wooden coffee table. "It was Kabuto."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ino could feel herself growing numb. Still looking down, Ino placed her hand on her forehead for support as she felt her neck beginning to sway. _I'll just close my eyes for a few seconds…_

"Kabuto? You don't mean…Orochimaru's guy?" Chouji asked, finally taking a seat on the single couch in between them.

"The one and only," Ino said, forcing herself to stand up and pace, knowing if she kept her eyes closed for a second longer she'd fall asleep. "I know he was definitely behind the ambush because he knew I was trying to connect with you guys, he somehow created a block between the three of us."

"But it wasn't the scroll he was after, was it?" Shikamaru asked.

Ino paused, thinking back on her encounter. Now that Shikamaru said it, Ino realized Kabuto never once mentioned taking the scroll from her. _"I've never had the pleasure of examining a Yamanaka's brain before…This'll be easier if you don't fight it…" _This wasn't an ambush for the scroll, Ino was beginning to realize. For all Ino knew, Kabuto probably had no idea she was carrying something so valuable. How had she not realized before?

As much as Shikamaru's intelligence had saved their asses countless times, Ino couldn't shake off the feeling of being annoyed at times. This time being one of them.

It was like he was always ten steps ahead of them.

"Alright, smart guy," Ino crossed her arms. "Enlighten us as to how you reached that conclusion."

Ino could see him tonguing at the bottom of his cheek, watching her from his seated position; his back slouched and his arms resting on his legs.

"Because if he wanted the scroll he would have gotten it," Shikamaru said plainly. "He almost took Tsunade down last time, I'm sure he wouldn't have had much trouble taking you down even in your best condition."

Ino almost felt like punching him in the arm. _Almost. _But she simply bit at the inside of her lip instead, knowing he was right. Still. Would it hurt him to sugar coat things a little?

"So…he was just after Ino? What could he possibly want from her?" Chouji asked, his eyebrows knit together in pure confusion.

Ino would have punched him too, but she knew Chouji didn't recognize that his words could hurt her feelings. For a second she wondered if the other kunoichi also had to deal with this male insensitive bullshit or if it was just her two idiots.

"Whatever he wanted was in my head," Ino said with a flippant air. "After I attacked him he took me down and forced himself inside…my head!" Ino added immediately as she saw a look of shock flash in their eyes.

But the looks of uneasiness didn't leave their faces. Ino waited a couple of seconds for them to say something before she took a step back, the weight of their silence beginning to make her feel uncomfortable.

"He was knocked unconscious when I woke up," she began, beginning to pace back and forth. "I don't know, I was trying to fight him off from the inside and, I don't know what he was looking for, I think he was just flipping through my memories, it's not like my family has any secret techniques or - okay, you guys are _seriously _starting to freak me out with those looks!" Ino exclaimed breathlessly.

Ino thought she had seen them exchange a look, but the moment happened far too fast for her to decipher it.

"Does the Hokage know?" Shikamaru finally asked. Ino was unable to recognize his tone.

"No, um, I was just going to add it in the report," Ino said with uncertainty, a nervous feeling beginning to build at the pit of her stomach. "I didn't think it had any urgency, I mean, does it?"

Ino almost didn't catch the second look they shared; but it was there, hidden at the corner of their eyes. Ino was beginning to feel her head grow heavy again. _Fuck, am I just starting to imagine things from lack of sleep?_

"No, it doesn't," Chouji said, scratching at his knee. "Nothing that can't wait a few hours for the Hokage to read it in the report, _right_, Shikamaru?"

Ino assumed Shikamaru nodded, not hearing anything after. She had taken her seat at the couch again and thrown her head back over the cushions, deciding that closing her eyes for just a few seconds would be a grand idea.

* * *

Ino woke up to a dry mouth, a pounding headache, and an empty stomach. If it wasn't for Shikamaru sitting across from her, scribbling away at a sheet of paper, Ino would have thought she was simply waking up from a night of heavy drinking.

"What time is it?" Ino asked, her dry throat making her voice raspy.

"Almost midnight," Shikamaru answered as he pushed his papers aside after adding his signature at the bottom of the page. "Thought you'd be out for a lot longer."

"No one could sleep through this headache," Ino said, reaching up to massage her temples and finding her hair covered with gauze. With a frown, Ino touched at the rest of her head, finding that she had gauze wrapped around it like a headband.

"Sakura came by," Shikamaru explained, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and tapping it on the palm of his hand. "She said to wait at least 48 hours to wash your hair and that you could drop by in 36 to take out the stitches."

"Stitches?" Ino asked incredulously. She stood up immediately, heading directly towards the bathroom.

Turning the light on, Ino almost jumped back as her eyes met her reflection. She quickly turned the light off, taking a deep breath before flipping it on again.

Her skin was sallow with a light bruise forming on her right cheek. She'd never seen her lips paler nor her hair looking more like a tangled mess under the gauze. But what scared her the most was the purple tint below her eyes. She knew she hadn't slept well for a week, but she never expected it to look _this _bad.

She had to take a shower, stitches or not, she just _had _to. 48 hours? Ino didn't think she could handle another minute knowing she looked like this. With a scoff, Ino thought about what a joke she must have looked like to Kabuto. Or how unstable she must have looked like to the Hokage. And maybe worst of all, what a mess she must have looked like to Chouji and Shikamaru.

Reaching for the knot at the side of her head, Ino was about to pull at it before Shikamaru appeared at the doorway. He leaned against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets as he looked at her through the mirror.

"48 hours, remember?"

Ino clicked her tongue in annoyance. "It'll be fine," she said, reaching for the knot again. Shikamaru took hold of her wrists, freezing them in place above her head, inches away from the knot. Ino glared at his reflection, breaking free of his grip as she put her hands down by her sides.

"I'll be careful. Plus, as much as you try to stop me you know I'm just gonna do it the second you leave," Ino said, crossing her arms and turning to face him.

"Sakura was barely able to prevent an infection from taking in, you really think all that is going to help?" He asked, shrugging in the direction of an array of shower gels and shampoo bottles.

Ino bit at her bottom lip. She looked down at the floor for a second, staring with disgust at her dirty feet and chipped nails. She was about to tell Shikamaru off and kick him out when her eyes began to feel overwhelmingly heavy. _Just for a second…_she thought as she closed her eyes.

"Ino?" she heard. "Ino?"

Opening her eyes, Ino looked up at Shikamaru. His hand was gripping at her shoulder, his eyebrows knit together in worry.

"What?" Ino gave him a questioning look.

"Did you just fall asleep? You almost fell over," he said, letting go of her shoulder.

"Fall asleep?" Ino laughed. "I just closed my eyes for a second, don't exaggerate!" Ino smiled, her body suddenly feeling light and relaxed.

"Anyway, I'm taking a bath. I don't care if I'm sitting in my own filth or risking an infection, I'm _not_ looking like this a second longer," she said. "Try and stop me," she challenged.

Ino turned to move the bath's knobs until they reached a warm temperature before practically dumping half a bottle's worth of bubble bath and a handful of medicinal bath salts into the tub.

"You're _not_ washing your hair," Shikamaru warned from the doorway.

"Um, I'm pretty sure I am," Ino threw back over her shoulder. "Now get out," she added, checking the water's temperature again.

"Make me."

Ino froze, turning to look back at Shikamaru. He was leaning against the counter, his arms crossed at his chest and a daring smirk on his lips. Ino narrowed her eyes at him, wishing he would evaporate with the power of her gaze. She knew she wasn't strong enough to push him out, so that option was out. She also knew he was stubborn enough that he'd probably continue their bickering session until the 48 hours were over. _What to do…what to do…_ Ino thought, looking around the bathroom.

"Don't get any ideas," Shikamaru scoffed.

Ino scowled at him. _This guy, seriously… _Without a second thought she scrambled towards the tub, the hot water engulfing her calves as she quickly stepped in. She fought herself from sticking her tongue out at Shikamaru as she sat down, the water's level rising and the bubbles engulfing her.

Shikamaru shook his head as he walked towards her, extending an arm towards her. "Come on," he said, shrugging his head towards the door. Ino huffed, getting ready to stand up before she took another look at Shikamaru. _He's not looking too clean either…_ Ino thought as she hid her smirk. Extending her hand towards him, Ino grabbed at his wrist, pulling him towards her with all the strength she could muster.

"Ino-!"

With a giant splash, Shikamaru's upper body landed on top of Ino, his legs dangling comically at the edge of the tub. Ino couldn't stop laughing after having caught Shikamaru's face halfway towards faceplanting on the water. She thought she'd surely break one of her ribs from laughter as Shikamaru sputtered at the bubbles that had gathered around his chin, his eyebrows drawn together in annoyance.

Throwing her head back, Ino continued to laugh as Shikamaru finally balanced himself and sat across from her with resignation written on his face. With a frown, he reached out and pinched her nose, chuckling to himself as she let out a snort.

"Hey!" Ino exclaimed, throwing some bubbles at him. They hovered in between them before landing lamely almost a foot from Shikamaru.

"You snort like a pig."

Ino gasped, pretending to look insulted. "At least I don't smell like one," she said, throwing him a lavender bar of soap. Shikamaru caught it with ease, throwing it back at her. The bar of soap went back and forth between them, each time getting harder to catch as it became more wet than before. Both Ino and Shikamaru tried hard to keep straight faces as they 'fought', a smile fighting its way onto their lips.

Ino finally lost her grip on it, sending it flying past Shikamaru's head and onto the bathroom floor behind him.

"Go get it," Shikamaru shrugged.

"You're the one who didn't catch it!"

Shikamaru sighed through his nose, reaching his hand back but without success.

"Don't be lazy," Ino said, softly kicking him on the leg. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, standing up with water dripping from his soaked clothes. Ino stared at him innocently until her eyes landed on a particular region that caused her to hastily look away with wide eyes and pink cheeks.

As Shikamaru stepped out of the tub, both of them turned towards a knock at the front door.

"Chouji?" Ino asked Shikamaru in a whisper.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Chouji wouldn't knock. Expecting anyone?"

"Not that I know of," Ino said, resting her chin on her knees.

Shikamaru wrung his pants by the tub, his pants still leaving spots of water on the wooden floor as he walked out of the bathroom and towards the hallway. Taking a look at the person's outline through the glass door, Shikamaru immediately knew who it was.

With a frown, he opened the door.

"Heyy, heard you were ba - Shikamaru?" Kiba took a step back in confusion, trying to look over Shikamaru's shoulder. "Where's Ino?"

"She's resting."

"Oh, is she okay? Woah, why are you all wet?"

"I was, uh, washing a pig," Shikamaru lied, scratching at his temple.

"That's…not weird at all," Kiba replied, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "How come you're here so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Shikamaru said, his hand reaching for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket.

Kiba laughed, gently slapping Shikamaru on the arm. "You _know_ man."

"No, I don't. _Man_." Shikamaru threw Kiba a blank look, placing a wet cigarette between his lips.

Kiba's smiled uncomfortably as he fumbled around with his pockets. "Um, okay. Well you think you can give this to her for me?" He took out half a dozen crumbled red camellias from inside his vest, a small envelope attached to one of them.

"Sure thing," Shikamaru said, taking the flowers; they looked as if they were falling asleep, facing towards the floor and with some petals falling to the ground.

"Okay, thanks man," Kiba said, turning to leave. "See you around!"

Shikamaru turned to go inside, locking the door behind him. _Oops_, he thought as the flowers accidentally hit the door, causing more petals to fall out.

The stark white of the card caught his eyes as he placed the flowers on the coffee table next to the empty cup of tea. Straightening up, Shikamaru popped his jaw, feeling his hands itching to reach for it. _And then what?_

Shaking his head, he walked towards the hallway, the bathroom's light showing him the way. Taking a deep breath before opening the door, Shikamaru didn't think he could ever have prepared himself enough for what he was about to find.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought ^_^ Good, bad, meh?

I will sadly be going back to school soon so I'm not sure how often updates will be, sigh. I'll try my best :D Thank you so much for your reviews, they mean the world to me!


	5. Chapter 5

Ino watched as Shikamaru wordlessly left the bathroom, small puddles of water marking his quiet footsteps. She sunk deeper into the water until her shoulders were covered, the opening and closing of the door having left a cool breeze behind. Bubbles formed as she let out a sigh under the water; her ears vaguely picking up the sound of muffled voices. Ino bit at her lips as she thought about who it could be. But at the back of her mind she knew perfectly well who came knocking at this time of night; one of those persons having already been in the house with her for hours.

Hearing the front door close, Ino moved to sit up. But as she pushed on her elbows she felt herself slip forward, the sudden uncontrolled weight of her body pushing her upper body underwater and her legs flailing in the air. Her eyes cringed shut as she felt the back of her head press against the porcelain tub, a sharp jolt of pain emerging from where she guessed the stitches were placed.

With a soft gasp, Ino quickly emerged from the water. She rubbed at her stinging eyes, not exactly sure if her soapy hands were making the pain better or worse. The discomfort slowly subsided, her eyes watering as she blinked them open, meeting the bathroom's light blue wallpaper on the opposite wall.

Cocking her head to the side, Ino blinked slowly at the wall.

Although her vision still wasn't completely clear, Ino knew that she was seeing much more than blue wallpaper. Her body instinctively began pushing itself back, her eyes growing wider as her vision began to focus. She soon found herself sitting at the edge of the bathtub, her hard grip barely holding her in place.

Shakily, Ino forced the question from her lips, "Dad?"

The door opened, her balance immediately lost as she found her butt hitting the floor with a _thud_.

"You just couldn't wait, could you?"

Ino looked up at the wall again, the light blue wallpaper perfectly in place as if she hadn't just seen her deceased father standing in front of it. Ino finally glanced up at Shikamaru, an unlit cigarette resting on the corner of his lips as he looked down at her with a blank expression. She remained silent, pressing her lips together to keep them from trembling.

Shikamaru slipped the cigarette past his lips, placing it on the counter as he took a better look at Ino. While her skin had looked sickly before, it was now as if every hint of color had been completely drained from her face. He could see the slight tremble of her body and a light sheen on her forehead that could easily be mistaken for the tub's water.

Following her eyes to the spot on the wall, Shikamaru didn't quite know what to make of the scene in front of him. "Ino, what-?"

"I saw…" Ino paused, taking a careful look at Shikamaru. He was giving her that same look he had given her earlier after her breakdown in the middle of the street. Should she tell him? But tell him _what_, exactly? Even as she said it in her head it sounded completely insane. _Hey Shikamaru, just saw my dad standing five feet away from me, you know, the one who died last year? _No, she couldn't tell him. Especially not after Tsunade thought she had been growing unstable exactly because of who she _thought _she'd seen.

Ino trusted Shikamaru. She trusted him with her life. But that was exactly the reason why she couldn't tell him. He'd surely tell Sakura in an instant, his genius mental abilities being limited in the field of the neurology and medicine. And Ino just _knew_ Sakura would ask Shizune about it for advice. And Shizune would most definitely tell the Hokage because, well. And then the Hokage would _surely _postpone her re-enlistment for at least a year…_no_, _no_, _no_, she couldn't tell him.

"I thought I saw a slug crawling on the wall," Ino lied firmly. "But I think it was just the light playing tricks on me after I got soap in my eyes," she said, rubbing at her eyes again. "Who was at the door?"

"It was Kiba," Shikamaru muttered. "He left a note for you."

"Oh, um, okay." Ino didn't know exactly how to respond. She simply stared at the large puddle of water beneath her, her dripping hair expanding it. "Are you staying over? I still have some of your clothes from last time."

"Yeah, sure," Shikamaru shrugged. "It's dangerous to walk around this time of night anyway."

"Said the chunnin-level ninja," Ino rolled her eyes. She stood up, submerging her hand into the water and pulling the drain stopper out. The bubbles had fizzled out, leaving only the brown tinted water to make its way down the drain.

"There's a lot of creeps out there," he shrugged again.

Ino turned back and glared at him, shaking her head in mild exasperation. She knew exactly what he was getting at but had zero energy to begin another argument. "It's been a long day, Shikamaru. Let's just…finish up in here already," she sighed. "I still need to write up my side of the report."

Shikamaru nodded. "I'll help you wash your hair then, seeing as it's already wet."

"Sure," Ino said, biting her lips as she stepped into the tub again. "Thanks," she added as an afterthought. She hated that the mere mention of another person could cause such a drift between them. She knew part of the responsibility fell on her, for always taking those extra measures to make sure they wouldn't find out; though she supposed not lying to them measured up to be the same as not telling the truth.

She felt Shikamaru's fingers working through her hair, soaking her scalp thoroughly with the handheld showerhead. Ino tried to will away the forming tension on her shoulders. Every touch brought her back to that moment in the forest, her face pressed down on the gritty dirt, his weight on top of her, and his cold hands invading her mind.

It was a painful couple of minutes, her eyes watering every time liquid came into contact with the broken skin.

"Close your eyes," Shikamaru said softly behind her, rinsing out the remaining shampoo by her forehead. His fingers treaded lightly around her hairline, sending an unexpected airy feeling up her spine. Ino shuddered, licking her dry lips. "It's cold in here," she murmured.

"There," Shikamaru said, turning the water off and placing the showerhead back into its place. He stood up, lifting his shirt over his head as he walked to the sink and wrung it out. Ino found herself suddenly incredibly interested in her new body wash's instruction label. _Main ingredient: water. Huh, who knew?_ She could see him wringing out his pants in her peripheral vision.

"What, no conditioner?" Ino asked jokingly, keeping her eyes on the bottle in her hands. She hoped her voice didn't sound as uncomfortable as she felt.

Shikamaru threw her an annoyed look through the mirror as he picked up his semi-dry cigarette from the counter and placed it between his lips. Without another word he threw his clothes over his shoulder and closed the door behind him, leaving Ino staring hard at the bottle that had fallen from her hands.

* * *

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Ino let herself fall back onto the bed, sheets of paper scattering around her. After four pages of front-to-back writing she was finally close to finishing her report. She had countless pieces of rejected crumbled paper around her, each of them holding the same encounter with Kabuto in different words. She didn't know how to put into words that yes, she was attacked and invaded, but no, she wasn't incapable of doing her job.

Ino huffed in annoyance, sat up and began to scribble down the events in a 'matter-of-fact' kind of way. No emotions, just facts; that's what Tsunade wanted from her, wasn't it?

With a quick signature at the bottom of the page, Ino pushed the papers into the manila folder between Chouji and Shikamaru's reports. She placed the folder in her bedside drawer, turning off the light from her lamp and pulling the covers over herself. Closing her eyes, she waited for sleep to come.

But her mind was running at a thousand miles per hour, the mission's events still replaying in her head. She had, after all, just written down every last detail from the past week and a half of her life. And as much as she tried to clear her mind, images kept flashing in her head like a broken screen projector. The scroll in her shaking hands, Chouji's face after a bout of nervous vomiting, the grenade flying towards them, the dirt on the ground beneath her face, the blood streaming down Kabuto's nose, Tsunade's frustrated eyes…

Ino opened her eyes, pushing the covers hastily to the foot of the bed. Standing up, she quickly pulled a thin silk robe over her shoulders as she made her way down the stairs. The kitchen was dark as she found her way to the counter, pouring herself some of the cold tea Chouji had made. A grimace made its way onto her lips, the tea's cold temperature only adding to its bitterness. She paused as she took another sip, hearing shuffling in the living room.

Placing the cup down carefully on the counter, Ino arched her neck to look into the living room. She could barely make out the outline of Shikamaru's body on the couch, the blankets only covering about fifteen percent of his body.

"You asleep?" Ino asked in a whisper.

"Yes," came a low response.

Rolling her eyes, Ino made her way to living room. She sat down on the smaller couch in front of him, pulling her feet up over the armrest. She wasn't quite sure what time it was, but she was sure the first of the sun's rays would be peeking their way over the mountains soon.

"It's funny. I couldn't wait to get home and sleep and now it's the furthest thing from my mind," Ino snorted.

"Pray tell, what is, then?" Shikamaru yawned.

"Well, since you sound _so _interested, I guess I'll have to tell you," Ino crossed her arms beneath her chest. She let out a deep exhale before beginning. "It's about my next mission…"

Shikamaru turned on his side to face her, resting his head on his propped up hand. "You've already been assigned another mission?" he asked with a hint of skepticism.

"No, um, that's the thing exactly," she began, licking her lips. "I think it's going to be a while before my next one." Ino stopped herself, clearing her throat as she felt it becoming tighter and tighter with each syllable. "Seeing as how I've been put off-duty and all," Ino added with a dry laugh.

"Is it because we were late?" Shikamaru asked after a long second of silence. Ino smiled at his use of the word 'we' after she knew that _he_ knew fully well that the mission's failure was on her.

She nodded, unable to trust her voice.

"That and…other things," Ino finally said. "She just thinks I need a break."

"For how long?"

"Indefinitely."

Ino closed her eyes, tapping her fingers on her stomach as she felt the silence stretch over them. She waited for him to say something.

Anything.

Did he also think she deserved to be off-duty? That she wasn't fit for the job anymore? That she had grown weaker over the past year? _I'm perfectly fine, I don't need a break_, Ino thought to herself. She couldn't understand what the Hokage had seen that made her think she wasn't fit to carry out missions. Yes, she'd caused the team the mission but she'd gotten the scroll to Konoha, hadn't she? And it wasn't like Chouji or Shikamaru hadn't had their share of hiccups on past missions. She just…didn't understand.

"Just thought you should know," Ino broke the silence.

She knew if she turned just a couple of inches to her side she would meet his eyes staring at hers through the darkness. She opened her mouth, taking in a deep breath before pressing her lips back together again. Ino closed her eyes, her fingers resuming the tapping on her stomach.

"Is that all you think I should know?"

"…yep, that's all."

* * *

"And that's when I realized that I'm looking for _more _than just a fling, you know?"

"Mmhm," Ino hummed as she slipped on a pair of worn three-fingered gloves. Reaching beneath the counter she found a bucket filled with fresh roses and placed it next to her on the table.

"I mean, I know work comes first and all but that doesn't mean I don't want some romance in my life. I'm ready to die for this village in a heartbeat and I can't get _one _single guy to commit to more than a month or two? It's ridiculous," Sakura ran a hand through her hair, pausing in her pace to smell a leafy green plant.

"Maybe that's the problem," Ino said, trimming the end of a rose and placing it in another water-filled bucket. "When was the last time you dated a person who wasn't a civilian? And that one week with Naruto does _not _count," Ino interrupted Sakura as she opened her mouth to answer.

"I don't know, never, I guess?" Sakura shrugged, resuming her pacing through the aisles of potted flowers. "I think it could get kind of weird, especially if one day you have to go on a mission together and it becomes life or death. What do they choose, me or the mission's success?" Sakura shook her head. "It just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

"You're over thinking it." Ino reached beneath the counter to get another bucket of roses. "You never know, you could find 'the one'," she said with a flirtatious tone.

"Speaking of 'the one'," Sakura began, sitting on a stool on the other side of the counter. "How are things between you and your mystery guy?"

Ino scoffed. "I don't know. I don't even really know if we're in a relationship or if it's just something out of convenience. Sometimes I catch myself thinking I could really commit myself to him and sometimes I just want to get as far away from him as possible."

Sakura rested her hands on the counter, eyeing Ino with suspicion. "I know him, huh? That's why you won't tell me his name."

"I'm not answering that."

Ino placed silver wrapping paper on the table, arranging different roses in the middle. This must have been her twentieth bouquet order of the week, not to mention the endless incoming orders for vases, medicinal plants, and for what Ino hated the most, funeral wreaths.

"It's Shikamaru, isn't it?"

A rose slipped her grip, its thorn pricking Ino's ring finger. "As if!" she laughed, ignoring the prick of pain.

"Even if it's not, you know it's only a matter of time," Sakura nudged Ino's shoulder. "You guys are always together-"

"That's because we're teammates."

"He's always sleeping over at your house-"

Ino snorted. "Because he's too lazy to walk back to his own house."

"Those are all excuses! I've seen the way he looks at you, _trust _me."

"Trust you? You're the one that came to _me _for love advice, remember?" Ino cocked an eyebrow.

"Details, details," Sakura waved her hand, analyzing her fingernails.

"Besides, he hasn't even talked to me in almost two weeks," Ino hoped her shoulders didn't look as if they had just deflated as she began wrapping the paper around the flowers.

Sakura looked up at her, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "Well that's because he just left on a mission last week. Didn't he tell you?"

Ino turned, opening a bottom drawer on the counter and pulling out clear plastic paper with the pink words 'Love You!' written on them. She pretended to shuffle around looking for another paper, unsure of how to reply to her best friend.

"Yeah, I guess he must have left in a hurry," Ino shrugged as she stood up, keeping her eyes on the flowers beneath her.

Sakura bit her lip, unsure if she should tell Ino what she knew. Rubbing at her arm, she caught the time on her digital watch. "Oh crap, my break's over! Lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll drop by," Ino replied, trying her best to give Sakura a smile that said 'I'm fine, please tell the Hokage I'm not going insane' but it probably came out looking more like 'I'm gonna go batshit crazy if I make another romantic flower arrangement'.

Ino walked Sakura out, waving to her as she made her way to the hospital. With a sigh she closed the door, resting her hand on the handle for a second too long. _Fuck it_, she thought, turning the lock on the door and turning over the 'OPEN' sign.

Walking towards the back of the shop, Ino returned to the counter where she had been working on the bouquet. She frowned, noticing a pattern of black spots had appeared on both the table and the flowers. Her hands rubbed at the spots, but they remained stubbornly in place, growing in multitudes until the entire counter was filled with them.

Ino looked up, reaching for a towel at her side when she was met with nothing but darkness. Her breath became caught in her throat as she took a step back and looked around.

She couldn't see anything.

She reached her hands out, looking for the counter but met nothing but air. _Calm down, calm down. _Ino tried to control her breathing as she blinked rapidly, waiting for her vision to come back. Moving around to find something to hold onto had made her incredibly dizzy, leaving her wondering if she was walking in circles. She slowly lowered herself onto the cold tiled floor, laying on her back with closed eyes, waiting for the world to stop spinning and the darkness to fade away.

* * *

It had been almost two weeks since she'd fallen asleep at the flower shop. Ino wasn't quite ready to label it as a 'fainting episode' just yet. She'd woken up a couple of hours later and personally delivered the bouquet to a frantic husband who claimed he had been knocking like crazy for hours at the shop's door. Ino had quickly offered him a discount on his next bouquet.

Through a bit of bribing Sai, she'd been able to find out that Chouji and Shikamaru had left for Suna almost a month ago on a diplomatic mission to discuss 'urgent matters' with the Kazekage. Ino shrugged; maybe they didn't tell her to spare her feelings?

Yeah. Right. This was Chouji and Shikamaru she was talking about here.

Turning towards her street, Ino frowned at the sight of her house. In the past weeks she'd spent more time outside of it than in it. She quickly found out that the longer she spent in it, the higher the chances that she would see her father. Ino had tried to ignore it, looking away from her father's image and walking around with her head bowed down. But every time she saw him she could still feel the air being sucked out of her lungs, her stomach turning until she threw up.

Ino had woken up one day and slipped on a pair of pants she used for training only to find them hanging far too low on her hips to wear in public. Not having the mood nor the energy for shopping, Ino had pulled out old clothes from her early teen years, finding they fit her like a glove once again. No one had noticed a difference, or at least they hadn't mentioned it; the clothes fit her after all.

To top it off, Ino found it nearly impossible to sleep. Well, at least during the nighttime. She caught herself numerous times throughout her days at the shop dozing off while trimming flowers, watering plants, and even once while talking to a customer. Needless to say, the old woman had left proclaiming she'd take her business elsewhere if Ino found her so boring to attend to.

Ino opened the front door, locking it behind her as she smoothly slipped her shoes off. She made her way immediately upstairs to her bedroom, tossing her clothes into the hamper and taking a quick shower. Ino avoided looking in the mirror as she put lotion and other night essentials on her skin. She went about her room, picking up the mess she'd made in the morning, throwing old tissues and cotton balls in the trash along with an empty container of eye concealer. She'd have to get one early tomorrow before going to the shop.

Having nothing else to distract herself with, Ino resigned herself to bed. She had barely sat down on the mattress when she felt it. A prickling on the back of her skin and the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She kept her gaze down, moving the covers over her lap. Ino could see him standing there from the corner of her eyes; staring at her with an unreadable expression. Her stomach lurched and Ino put her hands to her mouth as she swallowed back bile.

She could feel herself shaking from the force she was making to push her stomach's contents back down. She didn't want to speak to him, to make the fact that she kept seeing him real. No, she wasn't going insane, she wasn't allowed to go insane.

Ino looked down at her lap, allowing her hair to cover over her vision like a curtain. She began to feel him walking towards her, a strong cold breeze hitting her bare shoulders. "Go away, _please_," she muttered. Her stomach lurched again.

"Go away," she said with more force.

"Damn, you sure know how to greet a guest," a voice came from her side.

Ino looked up in surprise, her eyes meeting Kiba's resting figure on her windowsill.

"Kiba! What the hell are you doing?" Ino said with a false tone of aggravation. She could feel the cold breeze melt away along with any hint that her father had stood a foot from her bed just a couple of seconds ago.

"Thought I'd surprise you, just got back from a mission," Kiba said, lifting himself over the window and into her bedroom. "Me and Akamaru went over the mountain to deliver a litter of pups to some families needing protection. You wouldn't believe what a mess a puppy makes when it eats - woah, are you okay?"

Ino had ran to her bathroom, closing the door behind her as she emptied her stomach's contents into the sink; unable to make it all the way to the toilet. As soon as she was sure her stomach wasn't going to betray her again, Ino rinsed her mouth, making sure to clean the evidence from the sink. She left the room in a hurry, a chill beginning to form at the back of her neck.

Kiba stood in the hallway, his shoulders slouched as he looked down at her with worry written all over his face. "What's wrong? Are you sick?" he asked softly, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead.

Ino was about to slap his hand away when she felt the warmth from his hand melt away the cold breeze behind her. She'd been working so hard to put up a front, to make sure she'd look like she was ready for battle just in case anyone had been sending reports to the Hokage. She'd leave the house every day at five in the morning, making sure to make an appearance at the training grounds before attending to the flower shop from nine to five. It didn't feel like a break to Ino, it felt like pure torture. If she hadn't been unstable before, she was sure on her way to insanity now.

Ino swallowed nervously, looking up at Kiba's concerned eyes. She didn't know what was going on between them, what feelings she felt for him or what he felt for her. But in this moment, she needed him. She needed _someone. _

"You're just a little warm," he said, pulling his hand away. "Let me make you some soup or something-"

"No," Ino said, pulling at his sleeve. "I just want to go to sleep," she said, taking a deep breath before wrapping her arms around him. Kiba pulled her closer, resting his chin on top of her head. "Come on," he whispered, leading her towards her room.

Ino closed her eyes, following his lead. A small smile formed at the corner of her lips as she felt the familiar heat behind her eyes begin to take over. She could feel her mind beginning to fog over, as if the consciousness of her mind was slowly being sucked away. Kiba moved the covers back as she clumsily climbed on the bed. Ino felt herself growing giddy, as if the promise of tonight's sleep had completely intoxicated her.

"Stay," she said, pulling at his arm.

Kiba chuckled. "Of course. Can't just leave you like this."

"Noo," Ino mumbled. "Stay here _with_ me," she tugged at his arm again. If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought she'd had one too many drinks. She closed her eyes, feeling herself lost somewhere between consciousness and sleep.

"Sure," Kiba said softly, sitting on the bed and pulling a stray hair behind her ear. "Let me just get cleaned up."

Ino smiled as wide as she could, sure that she must have looked like a lunatic. But she didn't care. Her eyes were growing heavier by the second and soon she wasn't even sure if she was in her room or in the darkness of her mind. She was completely gone, unaware of the world around her, unaware of the boy laying next to her, and unaware of the kiss he pressed against the corner of her lips.

* * *

:D I made this chapter extra long because I don't know when I'll be able to update again. I'll be starting school next week, tearss, but I'll try my best to work on this whenever I get a spare minute.

I would really love to hear what you guys thought about this chapter, I know there's a lot of silent watchers out there, hi! And thanks to every single one of you who leaves a review, I honestly can't express how encouraging they are.

Until next time~ :)


	6. Chapter 6

Shrugging on the jacket's thick hood over her head, Ino slipped past the heavy-iron door and into the walk-in freezer. A gust of cold air sent a wave of chills throughout her body, causing her chest to tense up despite the long heavy jacket engulfing the majority of her body. Snapping on a pair of blue latex gloves, Ino moved to inspect the plants sitting on the metal shelves. A majority of them showed signs of healthy blooming, small leafs beginning to peak out from the stems. Ino let out a shaky sigh of relief; medicinal plants and herbs had always been a challenge for her to harvest, and with the hospital relying on her for a quick and local source of supplies; Ino had little room for mistakes.

With the clattering of her teeth, Ino could barely hear herself think as she made mental calculations of how much water each plant needed. _Okay, ten milliliters of part water, part vitamins for every three expected leafs, this one looks like it's gonna have three-six-_

"There you are!"

Ino gasped, rattling the shelves behind her as she bumped into them. A thin flask broke into a thousand little pieces as it hit the floor by her feet. Ino looked up to find Sakura standing by the doorway, her shocked expression mirroring her own. She could feel her heart beating furiously against her chest, her cheeks flushed from the sudden rush of blood throughout her body.

"Oh shit, I'm _so_ sorry! I thought you'd sense me before I-"

"Well I didn't, okay? I was too busy nursing these stupi-" Ino stopped herself, closing her eyes tightly for a second before taking a calming deep breath. "It's alright," she finally said in a steady voice. Without looking down at the now-worthless plant by her feet, Ino moved out of the freezing room, locking the door behind her.

"What's up?" Ino gave Sakura a tight smile before tossing her gloves into an almost overflowing trashcan.

Sakura gave her a hesitant smile. "Please don't be mad, I swear I have _amazing_ news."

"This better be good," Ino huffed, moving towards the sink and filling up an empty watering can.

"Well...guess who's going out with a non-civilian?" Sakura asked in a sing-song voice.

Ino let out a snort as she turned the water off and faced her friend. "You? No way. Following _my_ advice? The apocalypse might be upon us Sakura, you better start working on that bomb shelter."

"Shut up," Sakura rolled her eyes. She rubbed at her arms, fending them off from the non-existent cold. "It's just…it's just a trial run for now. It's definitely different, but it's um…it's nice."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "You gotta be kidding me, nice? You traded up to _nice_?"

Averting her eyes, Sakura intensely observed the plants Ino was watering. Ino herself couldn't keep her eyes off Sakura's failed attempt to control the huge smile forming on her pink lips.

"Alright, alright! It's been _really_ nice. Great, actually," Sakura smiled, cracking her knuckles with a speed only the student of a sannin could obtain. "Dare I say amazing?" she breathed out.

"If you're about to tell me you're in love, I can't be your friend anymore," Ino laughed.

"No one said anything about love!"

"You don't have to say it," Ino turned to face her, leaning in slowly until she was inches away from her. "It's written all over your face." Ino pressed her index finger against the bright pink of Sakura's cheeks, leaving a white fingerprint-sized mark.

"Stop!" Sakura giggled, swatting Ino's hand away.

With a small chuckle, Ino turned back towards the sink, the empty water can still feeling heavy in her hand. "So who is this 'nice' guy exactly?"

Sakura twirled the fabric at the edge of her skirt. "He's um, someone you know."

"Obviously. With the number of ninja around here nowadays I'm sure I've heard their name going around."

"Yeah, maybe?" Sakura shrugged, brushing her finger along the side of a yellow primrose.

"Alright, alright, I get it, Miss Secretive," Ino waved her off.

"Miss Secretive?" Sakura scoffed. "Shouldn't that be _your_ nickname?"

"I have noo idea what you're talking about," Ino smiled slyly. "Shouldn't someone be getting back to work?"

Sakura took a quick glance at her watch, cursing under her breath. "I didn't even tell you the news!"

"_That _wasn't the news?" Ino raised an eyebrow, turning to face her best friend.

"Nope," Sakura smiled brightly. "I just happened to find out this morning that a message from Suna came last night," she said, watching Ino carefully.

"Annd?" Ino tried to say nonchalantly, taking a quick glance at her chipped fingernails.

"And according to said message, we're expecting a visitor from them soon. One that will be working closely with a _certain_ teammate of yours. On what I have no idea, but I'm assuming it has something to do with strategies and advising and whatnot."

"Oh really? Hm, that's great," Ino said calmly, turning once again towards the stainless-steel sink. "Really great."

Sakura felt her own smile slowly melting away as she watched Ino's rigid back. "Something wrong?"

"Huh? No?" Ino glanced back at her. "What makes you say that? I'm totally fine."

With a tilt of her head, Sakura took another look at Ino. Not just watching her, but really_ looking_ at her. "Ino, what-"

"Aren't you like half an hour late?"

Sakura tongued the roof of her mouth, tilting her head as she watched Ino move towards another row of blooming flowers. "Seriously, Ino. What's up?"

"Nothing's up," Ino laughed, keeping her eyes on the plant beneath her. She tilted the watering can slightly, the dry soil immediately becoming muddy as it hungrily absorbed the liquid. "It _really_ is great news. I've missed them," she shrugged. "I'm just tired with shop and all, you know? I haven't exactly been getting the best sleep either," Ino laughed softly under her breath. Now _that_ was an understatement.

"You want some extra help? I can always come by after work-"

"Sakura, I'm fine." Ino smiled as she looked up to meet Sakura's concern eyes. "Seriously, don't worry." Ino set the watering can on the table, dusting her hands off on the front of her jacket. "I'll let you know if I need any help," she finally offered with a sigh after seeing the concerned look on Sakura's face. "Now come on," Ino smiled brightly. "We girls gotta work."

* * *

Ino's plans to close the shop early that day had gone down the drain the moment she'd gotten notice that arrangements were needed to greet their imminent visitors from Suna. After about three or four hours she'd tossed aside her protective gloves, realizing they were only costing her time. Unfortunately, the time she'd saved had only cost her another price. She could practically _feel_ her heartbeat pulsing in her hands as the blood made its way out of the various nicks and cuts on her pale palms.

"Fuck!" she cursed under her breath as the green ointment met the delicate skin. After a few minutes and some light bandaging, Ino was finally able to let out a sigh of relief as she locked the shop's door behind her.

Ino dragged her feet as she made her way home, fully knowing what she could expect once she got there. No more than an hour would go by without seeing the image of her father walk through a hallway or stand in front of her, simply staring her down with a foreign expression. Ino wanted to say that she was getting used to it (she refused to refer to _it_ as 'him') but she knew each time was just as bad, if not worse, as the first time.

She couldn't help but pause as she reached the edge of the Yamanaka compound. Ino could practically _see_ the invisible line in front of her feet, marking the beginning of her family's grounds. She couldn't bring herself to look up and meet the cream house ahead of her; the house that she once happily shared with her father. The house he had solely built for his wife and future daughter. The house that had once been a home.

Ino shook her head, fixing her loose jacket around her as her feet began to lead her in another direction. She couldn't look away from the long shadow beneath her, wondering if her body matched its stringy legs and big head. Ino didn't have to look up to know that she had reached her destination, she simply set her bag down by the familiar beaten log and laid down on the patch of faint green grass next to it, resting her arm beneath her head.

The sun's rays had been long gone, only giving a hint of its presence from beyond the Hokage monument; a purple and orange haze surrounding the departing clouds. Ino smiled, wondering what Shikamaru would think if he found out she'd taken refuge in his favourite cloud-watching spot. Her smile began to slowly fade at the thought of seeing him again soon. It was closing into two months since she had last seen or spoken to him or Chouji.

Two months. No word. Nothing.

Ino didn't want to think about why they hadn't told her they were leaving. She wanted to believe they'd left a note she hadn't found, or accidentally thrown away. She hoped they'd come back, ready with an explanation that would allow her to laugh at how silly she'd been for worrying.

But then again, Ino wasn't a complete fool either.

At least, she hoped she wasn't.

* * *

It was the musky taste of smoke on her tongue that woke Ino up. Her body shivered against the cool ground beneath her, the grass tickling the exposed skin on her side. The smell of smoke hit her again, its all-too familiar spicy scent rousing her from her sleepy state.

…_Shikamaru? _There was a sound of rustling behind her, the scent becoming stronger.

Ino scoffed. "I'm surprised you didn't put it off longer to let me know you were back. You certainly didn't waste any time letting me know you were leaving," she said in an even voice. She paused, unsure of what kind of response she was expecting from him. An apology? An excuse? An actual valid explanation? It didn't matter, not really, because no response came. She could hear breathing behind her, the smell of smoke practically beginning to engulf her entire body as it hit her back.

As much as she wanted to stay silent and give him a taste of his own medicine, she couldn't hold back the question from coming out of her mouth. "You're seriously not going to say anything?" Again she waited, losing her patience with every passing second. She bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from saying anything else, sitting up from her position and wrapping her jacket tighter around herself.

_Don't say anything, don't say anything, don't say-_

"Fine. Whatever." Ino huffed as she turned to grab her bag from the floor. "I'm out of-"

Ino felt frozen in place, her heavy limbs rooting her to the ground. She could feel a gust of cold wind tickling her dry lips, sending goosebumps all over her body. If she had been thinking clearly, she'd be able to notice how her blood vessels were constricting, draining the color from her body.

"…here," she managed to whisper.

There he was, less than two feet away from her. Ino first caught sight of the sash wrapped around his waist, a red fire symbol carefully stitched within a black circle. She'd seen it at least a thousand times since she was twelve years old, and had stopped seeing it months before turning sixteen. The moment her eyes flickered up she could feel her throat closing in around itself, choking her breath as it struggled for release.

His eyes were bleakly staring down at her as he closed his mouth around the cigarette sitting on his chapped lips, slowly burning the white paper as he inhaled.

"S-sensei?"

A cloud of smoke softly hit her face as he exhaled, the familiar aroma triggering an array of memories she wished she could erase. Ino shut her eyes tight, covering them with the palms of her hands. _This isn't happening, this isn't happening. _She uncovered her eyes, once again meeting his brown eyes. She traced the outline of his beard with her eyes, remembering the many times she'd watched as he carefully pressed the edge of his blade against his rough skin. Ino could feel the air trapped in her throat as she unsuccessfully tried to inhale. _This isn't real, this isn't real, _she chanted in her mind as she began rubbing harshly at her eyes until she saw white swirls forming behind her eyelids.

Ino opened her eyes, holding her breath as the white swirls and spots behind her eyes slowly began to dissipate. Asuma was gone.

* * *

The only thing Ino could hear was the sound of her labored breath and her sandal-clad feet hitting the unpaved road. She slid on the dirt, landing hard on her hip after realizing she had missed the side street she was supposed to turn into. Ino ignored the growing pain as she quickly stood up and continued her way down the familiar street. She didn't stop to look at the red house ahead of her as she rushed up the front porch's steps.

Ino raised her closed first to the door, ready to see her best friend and tell her everything. Every single detail of whatever the hell she was going through. But she stopped herself, furrowing her brows as she heard muffled voices followed by a loud laugh Ino immediately recognized. She took a step back from the door, bringing her hands to her chest as it dawned on her that not only had she been unable to sense Sakura's chakra signature, but also whoever else's was in the house with her.

_I'm fine, I'm okay_, Ino said to herself as she tried to regain her breath. She slowly backed off Sakura's porch and went into the dimly lit streets once again. Her eyes remained on her feet as she allowed them to blindly lead her. She wanted to be anywhere but the flower shop, anywhere but her house, and anywhere but the training grounds.

It was only after what felt like hours that she finally looked up and saw the closed iron gates of Konoha's graveyard. She gave a quick tug but the chains wouldn't give. Ino could feel a tightness welling up in her chest, as if her own breath was trapped in her lungs, swelling them with pressure. Letting out a frustrated growl, Ino tugged harshly at the doors, causing the chains to jingle loudly from the force.

"Fuck!" Ino spat as she took a step away from the gates, trying to stop the feeling in her chest from overtaking her. She tried to compose herself as she looked back at the gates, taking a careful look at the spiky ends at the top. With a tilt of her head, Ino walked forward with determination as she gripped her hands high on the gates and pushed herself up with her feet. She easily reached the top, jumping off and landing softly on the other side.

Knowing exactly where to go, she passed swiftly down the long rows of headstones, flowers neatly placed in almost every other grave. But as she neared her destination she had to force one leg in front of the other until she was a foot away from the marble carved words. She locked her knees, feeling her legs trembling beneath her.

"Sensei?" she spoke out quietly, her voice stumbling over itself. "Are you-" the words caught in her throat. "Are you there?"

Ino waited. She wasn't expecting anything, but she needed _something_. Anything. But the only thing she could hear was the soft breeze of the night gently kissing her skin.

"I'm scared. I don't know what to do, sensei. I-I need help." Again she waited. But whatever it was she wasn't expecting, it never came.

A soft desperate laugh escaped her lips as she finally looked away from her teacher's carved name and up at the sky. _You're so stupid, Ino, _she thought, shaking her head. A strong breeze passed by, sending chills throughout her body. Ino rubbed at her arms, hugging herself as she turned to leave. That's when she saw it. It was impossible, but somehow it stood out among all the identical black marble slabs. She just knew it was _his. _

It didn't take her long to get there, a few careful steps and she was face to face with her father's name. A pang hit her chest as she traced over the letters with her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to trace the numbers beneath his name. She swallowed thickly, a million words trapped in her throat. "Daddy, I-"

But Ino didn't get the chance to finish, her jaw going slack, as if she had suddenly forgotten how to move the muscles around it. Ino tried not to panic, but she couldn't stop her heart from beating harder and harder as she gradually began to feel her muscles go limp beneath her. And as her body hit the graveyard's ground, the only comforting thought was that at least her father was with her.

* * *

Ino didn't know whether minutes or hours passed by before she began to regain control of her body. Her limbs were still tingling as she pushed her body to stand, leaving the graveyard behind. And after several attempts to climb over the gates, Ino found herself with a handful of new bruises that she didn't have the energy to heal. She found herself walking, this time with a destination in mind.

Ino watched the steady rise and fall of Kiba's chest; Akamaru sprawled on his legs and in between the tangled mess of white sheets, half his body spilling onto the floor. With careful steps, Ino moved to the side of Kiba's futon and kneeled down to gently scratch Akamaru between the ears. Akamaru stretched awake, opening his eyes and looking up at Ino with recognition.

"Come on, buddy," Ino whispered, petting him at the sides as he stood up. She slid the room's door open; Akamaru yawning as he sleepily made his way outside and laid down on the wooden porch.

Ino slid the door closed, turning back to look at Kiba's undisturbed figure. At the very back of her mind she screamed at herself, asking what the hell she thought she was doing breaking into a clan's compound in the middle of the night, knowing full well the severe consequences she could face. But as she thought of her own house, empty, cold, and brutally silent, the thought of consequences didn't faze her in the least. The thought alone of her front door made her tense, sending a cold feeling down her spine.

After slipping off her sandals, Ino kneeled down next to Kiba, leaning down until her face was only inches away from his. His hair was damp, a scent of mint mixed with something that was so inherently Kiba that Ino couldn't describe. Ino leaned down further, gently pressing her closed lips at the back of Kiba's exposed neck. He shifted, moving his head towards the other side. Ino stopped his movements, holding his chin as she leaned down to kiss him, his eyes flickering open.

Kiba instinctively pushed her away, ungracefully sitting up as he moved away from her. Ino watched as he looked at her through squinted eyes full of confusion. "Ino?"

Ino closed the gap between them again, placing her palm at the back of his neck, guiding him towards her lips. Kiba sighed into the kiss, his hands making their way around her waist.

"Mmph- Ino, you're freezing!" He exclaimed, rubbing his hands against her exposed skin.

Ignoring him, Ino moved to press her lips to his again. But Kiba moved his head to the side, Ino only catching the corner of his lips. Frustrated, Ino placed her hands on his cheeks, moving her lips against his still ones.

"Ino, what's…Ino-wait-" Kiba's words were drowned out by the pressure of her lips, hungry for attention. He tried to gently push her away, only to have her inch forward again, filling in the space between them. "Ino, hold-up…" Kiba placed his hands over her shoulders, pushing her away with force. "Ino!"

"What?" She huffed, her hands lying tense by her sides.

"What-what are you doing?" Kiba asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Ino scoffed, tilting her head as she gave him an incredulous look. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Kiba bit at the bottom corner of his lip, watching as Ino waited for his response. Kiba's eyes had grown accustomed to the low light penetrating through the sliding doors, Ino's outline becoming clearer by the second. His eyes roamed over her, catching the sight of her disheveled ponytail, red-tinted eyes, and dirty bandaged hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a soft whisper, reaching up and brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. Kiba caught sights of small leafs and traces of grass caught in between her hair as he moved a loose strand behind her ear. Ino swatted his hand away, pinning his wrist down on the soft futon before forcing her lips onto his. Kiba was rigid beneath her, his hands hesitantly ghosting over her cold skin. Ino kissed her way down to his neck, sucking at the sensitive skin beneath his collarbone.

"Ino, come on-" Kiba said, breathing heavily. A muffled moan escaped his lips as Ino moved her hands beneath his shirt. Ino moved to unbutton her top with her free hand, the skin beneath feeling all too warm.

Kiba exhaled, his eyes roaming over her legs. His eyebrows furrowed as he caught sight of discolored skin peeking out through her mesh shorts. He reached down, lifting the hem of the fabric to find a dark bruise covering the majority of the skin. Kiba knew well enough from experience that the bruise was fresh, having seen the many shades on his own skin. "Ino," he tried again. "Something feels weird- OW! What the fuck?"

His hand flew to his neck, his beat pulsing beneath the bitten skin. Akamaru barked from outside, scratching at the door to get inside. Ino huffed, "What? Can't take it a little rough?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kiba scoffed, looking at her incredulously. "Ino, I'm _bleeding, _for fuck's sake," he said, showing her his bloody fingers.

Ino remained unmoved, ignoring his disbelieving expression. "Fuck it," she said as she pulled at the strings on his pajamas. "Let's just do this thing."

Kiba grabbed her wrists, moving them away from him. "What is _wrong_ with you?" Ino observed the quick rise and fall of his chest, his white shirt sticking to his chest. She felt his grip on her wrists begin to loosen as he took a deep breath. "Ino, talk to me. Please."

"I didn't come here to talk," Ino said sharply, pulling her hands away. "What do you think I come here for? It's definitely not for talking."

_Shit. Shit. Shit. _

Ino willed herself to not look away as she watched the realization of her words wash over Kiba. She forced herself to watch as his eyes flickered away from hers, staring down at his limp hand on the sheets; the way his jaw popped as the silence stretched over them.

"Ki-" his name became lodged in her throat. She swallowed thickly as she wished she could take her words back and erase that expression from Kiba's face. With a last look at him, Ino stood up cautiously, gently making her way across the room. She slid the door open, the still coldness of the dawn immediately surrounding her skin. Ino found herself pausing as she placed her hand on the door's handle, feeling the strong urge to say something, anything. But she knew there was no combination of words that she could say to alleviate the pain she had inflicted. Sliding the door closed, Ino stepped off the porch, her bare feet meeting the wet grass beneath her.

Ino could feel her throat closing in around itself, choking her as her chest began to weigh her down. Swallowing thickly, Ino began to walk forward, clenching her hands tightly into fists. She sped her pace up, soon finding her feet hitting the empty dirt roads. Tears leaked down her eyes and Ino almost convinced herself that they were the result of the harsh wind hitting her face.

She reached the clearing of one of the training grounds, trees obstructing the early morning sun from reaching the ground. Ino had no idea were she was going. A strained laugh escaped her throat as she realized she was right back where she had started: alone and with no place to go. Ino frowned as she noticed herself begin to slow down, her muscles growing weak beneath her. In the blink of an eye she found herself meeting the floor, her muscles sprawled slack and useless around her.

Ino would've laughed more at her shit fortune if she could move the muscles on her face. But all she could do was stare lifelessly at the tree across from her, a squirrel hitting a nut against the trunk. Ino prayed that if she died someone would find her before it began snacking on her face.

It was impossible to keep track of time, but Ino knew that it was awhile before she finally heard something besides her own breathing. But there it was, the familiar husky chuckle of her teammate; Ino hoped she wasn't drooling. _As if that's the first thing he'd notice_, she scoffed to herself. Her arm and leg felt dead beneath her, having long passed the pins and needles stage.

The sound of muffled voices became louder, and Ino's trained ears could make out three pairs of footsteps coming near her. She could now make out Chouji's voice, laced with excitement from whatever story he was telling.

The sound of their voices suddenly stopped and Ino felt her breath catch in her throat. _Nonono, come back, come back! _Ino could feel a pressure growing tight on her chest, making her wonder if she had stopped breathing.

"Ino?" Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he felt a faint lingering of familiar chakra. He slowly walked forward, signaling to his companions to hold back. As he came into a clearing, his eyes immediately spotted a mess of blonde hair sprawled next to the trunk of a tree. "Ino!"

* * *

Took me so long to write this between all my schoolwork but here it is! I hope you guys enjoyed it, please let me know what you thought of it, I'd love to hear any critique, etc.. :D My lovely friend jacadenilla beta'd this chapter for me, we had a lot of brainstorming sessions that ended up with us procrastinating our homework lol. (so behind now, tears)

Ack, school is killing me. Avoid political theory if you have -10001% interest in it. It's not fun. Trust me.

P.S. I'm raising the rating. Yay?


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